Serves: 4
This is one of my favourite soups for a cold winter’s day and great one for the kids – very healthy!
Chef’s Tip
Any hard, strong melting cheese can be used for this recipe. It must be very cold and placed into the bowls at the very last minute before serving for the best taste and effect.
Ingredients
1 cauliflower (separate the florets)
1 leek (sliced)
50g plain flour
100ml crème fraîche
750ml hot, strong vegetable stock
1 tsp honey
3 tbsp extra virgin rapeseed oil
½ lemon (juice of)
pinch grated nutmeg
150g Reblochon cheese (cubed and partly frozen)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic (crushed)
1 tbsp parsley (chopped)
crushed black pepper (to taste)
Method
Pick a handful of cauliflower florets and put aside for the garnish. Roughly chop the remaining cauliflower. Heat the rapeseed oil in a deep, hot pan then sweat the chopped cauliflower with the leeks for five minutes. Add the honey and lemon juice. Reduce the heat, making sure the cauliflower and leeks don’t colour. Mix the nutmeg with the flour and add to the vegetables. Stir with a wooden spatula, then add the hot stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer for 40 minutes. Remove from the heat. Using a hand blender, blend everything in the pan and gradually mix in the crème fraîche. In a separate pan, either steam or boil the rest of the florets for no more than five minutes, or until they look translucent. Strain.
To Serve
Infuse the olive oil with the crushed garlic and herbs. Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Dress with a couple of steamed florets in each bowl. Add a few cubes of the very cold cheese and finally top with a tablespoon of the garlic and herb-infused olive oil.
